Approaching a new organization and a new project is a skill in itself, so we thought that we would give you somewhere to get started. Here are some tips inspired by one of our favorite Jewish quotes from the Jewish wisdom book, Pirkei Avot2:

Who is one that is wise? One who learns from every person, as it is said: “From all my teachers have I gained understanding.” (Psalm 119:99)

Hold a learning posture. You might know tips, tricks, and best practices for a given project, but make sure that you are also listening deeply to the needs of the non-profit and their community. Then you can mesh the two together to create the most helpful outcomes.

Who is mighty? One who conquers their impulse to evil, as it is written, “One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one who rules over their spirit than one who conquers a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)

Be patient. The non-profit that you are matched to might not have experience working with a consultant, and helping them share their needs and the most useful information to you might not always feel ‘efficient’ to you.

Who is rich? One who is happy with their portion, as it says (Psalms, 128:2), “If you eat of toil of your hands, fortunate are you, and good is to you”; “fortunate are you” in this world, “and good is to you” in the World to Come.

Be content. Sometimes the most important work is the least ‘sexy.’ Sticking with this opportunity will create short-term and long-term benefits for everyone involved._______________________________

Who is honored? One who honors the creations, as it says, “Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who scorn Me will be despised” (I Samuel 2:30)

Be respectful. If you extend respect, you will be respected, and that positive relationship will make for the best experience and the best work!

Learning about the work:

You have the opportunity to volunteer with organizations with a wide variety of missions. Those that we are bringing onto the platform focus on addressing poverty and its reverberations on local, national, and global scales. There is way more to say about these topics than we could fit into a few paragraphs, but we’ve collected some resources for you to check out to learn more about why these issue areas are so important.

As you read, watch, and listen, consider what surprises you, what do you want to know more about and how might what you are learning influence your approach to volunteering.

Read

PBS has compiled a cache of articles related to the role of race in history, science and society on their interactive webpage, Race: The Power of an Illusion

Understanding Poverty in California (1:58) from the Public Policy Institute of California. This short video gives a brief introduction to what poverty looks like today in California, today. Though the examples are from California, they are similar to what happens around the US and in many wealthy countries.

1619 Project Podcast from the New York Times Magazine “aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.”

NPR’s Codeswitch Podcast discusses race “from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between,” on a local, national, and international level.

In Jewish tradition, kavannah, or intention, comes from the same root as the word for “direction,” meaning that building up and constantly honing our intentions will help us stay on the path towards a more just world.

To get you started, find inspiration for intention setting and reflection, here are a few resources that we love to return to:

Mutual Aid initiatives have sprouted up to meet the needs of people across our communities. These networks have gained momentum in order to provide necessary relief from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our communities. Many Repair the World staff and Fellows are directly involved in mutual aid efforts. Check out our #MutualAid campaign where you can learn more about what it is and how to get involved to support your neighbors!

Want to talk with a member of our team? Contact [email protected] to get connected or to share information about your mutual aid initiatives. Posted below are a sampling of initiatives across our communities that you can get involved with today.

The Wellness Collective created the Community Delivery Hotline to ensure that folks with limited transportation and resources have access to their basic needs. Sign up to get resources delivered to you or volunteer to be a driver, intake coordinator, or switchboard operator.

Need support and/or can you provide relief to others? Get involved with the Pittsburgh Mutual Aid network!

Fundraise for or donate to the PGH Artists Emergency Fund to provide relief for artist/industry folks, many of whom cannot access unemployment and have lost all sources of income for the duration of the pandemic.

Comprehensive listing of resources and information for aid in the Baltimore area.

Chicago

Seniors, those living with disability, and folks living in food deserts are most at risk with the continual spread of the virus. Chicago Repair is working with partner: My Block, My Hood, My City to deliver groceries as well as response packages, to ensure access to hand sanitizer, health supplements, toiletries and food; to participate, email [email protected]!

Mutual Aid brings together many elements which we value at Repair the World. Volunteers engage with their communities to build and reify relationships across differences. Mutual Aid brings people together to directly address many of our major concerns, such as food insecurity, criminal justice, education justice and housing. Let’s work together to build communities we wish to live in, where all people can thrive together!

The original text of this article appeared today in The Forward. Mordy Walfish is Vice President for Programs at Repair the World. Learn more about Repair the World’s campaign for racial justice here.

I spent Yom Kippur this year dipping pork chops in olive oil, preparing lunch for the clients of St. John’s Bread and Life, an amazing anti-poverty organization in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

It marked a significant transformation from my upbringing: growing up in one of the few religious households in a Conservative synagogue in Hamilton, Ontario, my family held a certain disdain for “three-times-a-year Jews” – people who only showed up at synagogue on the High Holidays. My family, along with a few dozen other devoted people, would come to synagogue week-in-week-out, sometimes struggling to get a minyan. Each year as the fall rolled around, I would watch in amazement as the synagogue maintenance staff opened up the social hall of Beth Jacob Synagogue to provide overflow capacity to the 600 people who appeared on Yom Kippur. “Where were these people all year?” I wondered. “And why were they coming out of the woodwork today?”

As my relationship to Judaism changed and evolved over the years, I began to find more meaning outside the walls of the synagogue, in particular through the pursuit of social justice. And in recent years I have found myself as one of those three-times-a-year Jews. As I sat in synagogue two Yom Kippurs ago, I wondered what I was doing there. Shouldn’t I be spending this punctuating moment in a way that is more consistent with who I am in the world?

Last year I decided to grab a few friends to spend the day volunteering with me at St. John’s Bread and Life. It was a different kind of Yom Kippur service. And as we did last year, this year we prepared and served breakfast and lunch to hundreds of clients and spent a good deal of time just chatting – with the volunteers, staff and clients of SJBL. The experience felt meaningful, and a good use of our time and Yom Kippur day. But spending my day with real people, enduring poverty and other forms of oppression, served as an important reminder to me: The poor and hungry of this city do not exist for me to have a meaningful Jewish experience. The wealth and poverty gaps in this country are a stain on all of us – and a call to action that we cannot in good conscience ignore.

And with the words of Isaiah from the Yom Kippur haftorah ringing in my ear (“Is this not the fast I will choose….to share your bread with the hungry… “), I reflected on my own life and service over the past year. I am no hero for spending my Yom Kippur volunteering, and I know enough to know that this experience has little effect unless I keep coming back.

Though I spend my days working behind the scenes to foster a deep culture of meaningful service in the Jewish community with Repair the World, in many ways I am a “three times a year” volunteer; over the past year I’ve volunteered fewer than a dozen times. Each time I have volunteered at SJBL, I have been humbled by the daily “minyan”-goers – the staff and volunteers who are there day-in-day-out, no matter the weather, no matter the holiday. And I wonder why I haven’t done better. And how I can do better. How much more useful I will be when I understand the kitchen at SJBL as well as I understand my own. This Yom Kippur service is only useful if it’s a wake-up call, to do better, to be better.

Most of the clients at SJBL are people of color, as are most of the staff and volunteers. The boundaries between them are often porous – many of the staff and volunteers are former clients. It’s hard to volunteer and not ask how and why our broken food systems disproportionately affect people of color (for example, of the 50 million food insecure people in the US, 10.6% are white). I’ve been thinking a lot about service in the context of racial justice and the work that I do with Repair the World. I am painfully aware that service is not going to solve racism. Structural racism is deeply embedded into every system that makes this country function. But I do think that service has a role to play.

Though so many of us good-intentioned white folk consume and post all the right media, sign all the right petitions, and show up at all the right rallies – trying not to take up too much space – all too often we don’t actually have real relationships with those who experience the consequences of interpersonal and structural racism on a daily basis. Some of us have never had a conversation with someone who fears for their life if they run a red light and is pulled over by the cops; some of us have never talked about the Mets with someone whose unarmed father was shot by the police. We’ve never broken bread with someone whose mere presence – by virtue of the color of their skin – seems to evoke the fear of so many others.

Service across communities can open this door, even as it also, and importantly, reinforces the experiential gap that whites and people of color face daily in this country. It forces us to listen to each other’s stories, no matter how painful, no matter how much we may want to repress them.

And while the fight for dismantling racism is happening – and needs to happen – at every level – people are hungry and we need to work tirelessly to get them the food they need to not only survive but also thrive.

As Yom Kippur ends and the gates of heaven close, and with the pork marinade still stuck to my shoes, I pledge to do better in the year ahead.

Meet Rachel Fine. For the last two years, Rachel has served as a Repair the World fellow and education justice team leader in Detroit. Next year, she’s joining Repair’s staff as Teen Engagement Associate. So exciting! Here, she takes a minute to talk about how she got involved with Repair the World, how Repair will be participating in the conference, and what she’s most excited about. Read on…Read more

In honor of National Volunteer Week, a Points of Light initiative currently underway, Independent Sector, a leading coalition of organizations focused on the common good, released a new value for volunteer work; more than $23 per hour. This would mean the more than 60 million Americans who volunteered about 8 billion hours last year generated about $190 billion in value. Except that’s wrong.

The value of volunteering is actually much higher.

The IS number does have a basis: it represents an average of “the hourly earnings of all production and non-supervisory workers on non-farm payrolls,” says Independent Sector. In other words, it’s a replacement cost, the amount that someone would have to pay to get the work done if the volunteer didn’t do it.

But, doesn’t that miss the point? The volunteers are who are holding up parts of America’s tattered safety-net wouldn’t be replaced if they just didn’t show up – the holes in the safety net would simply grow bigger.

Who would replace the 2 million volunteers who support Feeding America’s more than 60,000 food programs in a typical month, and who serve more than 46 million clients? Most of these programs have no paid staff at all. The value of this volunteer work equates literally to the hunger alleviated, illness staved off and lives spared — not to mention the costs of the hospital stays, arrests and other emergency services avoided.

The value of the volunteers who make up 70% of America’s firefighters is not best calculated by the replaced labor cost, but by the value of the homes, lives and property they save and the strength and resilience they lend our communities.

Likewise, valuing America’s millions of formal and informal mentors of at-risk youth based on the cost of replacing them with paid employees fails to consider the value not only to the youth in terms of increased likelihood of graduation, escape from poverty and personal and professional success, but the proven significant reductions in public costs around social services, adjudication and prison.

I actually don’t have any better solution to identifying a concrete dollars and cents number than Independent Sector has shared. Still, funders, civic leaders, non-profits and, most of all, volunteers should remember how much more than labor volunteering represents. In an era when most philanthropic investments in social safety-net programs are returning values to society of three and four-times each dollar invested, we really should recognize that the value of the work done by our volunteers is also several times more than the labor “replacement cost” of that time.

A table reserved at a nearby Chinese restaurant (or takeout on its way to your place): check. Tickets to the blockbuster movie at your local cineplex (or a full Netflix queue): check. With all due respect to the traditional Jewish Christmas celebration, why not bring your celebration to the next level – by volunteering? From lending a hand at a soup kitchen and wrapping presents for those in need, to visiting with seniors and engaging in political activism, there are plenty of ways to pitch in on the annual Jewish “day off.” Here are a few ideas to get you started.

New York City New York Cares is an amazing site that offers fantastic volunteer opportunities throughout the year, including the Christmas season. Check out their website to plug in, or donate a gently worn winter coat for someone in need as part of their annual coat drive.

Pittsburgh Join Repair the World’s Pittsburgh-based fellows, and a bunch of other wonderful folks, for the Jewish Federation Mitzvah Day on Dec 24 and 25. Each of the volunteer opportunities are based off of a traditional Jewish value like committing acts of loving kindness (g’milut chasadim) and caring for the sick (bikur cholim).

Los Angeles Join members of IKAR, a social justice-minded synagogue community in LA for a morning spent preparing and serving breakfast for women and children living in transitional housing.

Baltimore Spend Christmas Eve and Day being a part of the 10th annual Mitzvah Day hosted by Jewish Volunteer Connection.

Washington DC Every year, the DCJCC organizes an epic day of service on December 25. There are tons of ways to get involved this year at D25 – find one that works for you.

Chicago Want to make a difference by organizing at a food pantry? Sorting inventory at Random Acts of Flowers, which recycles and repurposes flowers to be delivered to patients in healthcare facilities? Volunteer at a holiday party for seniors? Find out how at JUF’s Mitzvah Mania page.

London Live across the pond (from Repair the World’s NYC offices, anyway) in London? Join Light up a Life, a 10 day volunteer-a-thon with more than 1,000 activities to choose from. From Dec 23-Jan 1, plug in and make a difference.

Know of other great volunteer opportunities this holiday season? Let us know in the comments or by tweeting @RepairtheWorld.

Eating your veggies is good for you. So is aerobic exercise, yoga, and getting enough sleep. But what about volunteering?

It turns out, spending time helping others is not just good for your community, good for the world, or good for your conscience. It can be good for your overall well-being. It is true: studies show that volunteering can have a positive impact on physical and emotional health.

At first, the connection between volunteering and health seems implausible. But it makes sense. Engaging in service brings the volunteer a sense of purpose. That sense of purpose makes them feel good about themselves and their place in the world, setting off a string of positive health benefits like a better mood, lower stress levels, and a positive distraction from any difficulties one might be facing in their own life.

In fact, 76 percent of people who took part in a study by UnitedHealthGroup said volunteering at some point in the last year made them feel actively healthier.

Of course, we at Repair the World love the idea that service is healthy. But don’t take. Check out this video for more information. Then get out there, get volunteering, (eat your greens), and feel healthy!

January is already half over, so chances are, the resolution you made so earnestly at the end of 2014 – to get healthy, eat right, maybe go on a juice cleanse? – have already fallen by the wayside. But there’s one New Year’s resolution you can use. This month, pledge to go on a “cleanse” for the sake of your volunteer diet. Check out the tips below and serve better all year long.

Know who you are serving for.
Before you spend an hour, a day, a month, or a lifetime committing yourself to service, ask yourself, “who am I serving for?” In some cases, it might be to make yourself feel good. Maybe it is in honor of someone you love, or it stems from a deep drive to help others. Perhaps it is a combination of all of these factors. Whatever your reason, knowing the core of what drives you to serve will keep you motivated and ultimately help you serve better.

Try a bunch of different volunteer opportunities.
The more types of volunteer opportunities you try, the more likely you are to find one that uses your talents well and feels satisfying. So branch out and try lots of different service opportunities to see what fits you best.

Get to know an organization.
If you find an organization who’s mission you feel passionate about, get to know them well. Attend their programs, volunteer whenever possible, and get friendly with the staff and other volunteers. The deeper you know an organization, the more likely you are to be able to help in meaningful ways.

Find a service buddy.
There’s nothing like finding a service buddy to keep you committed to your service regimen. Make a goal together for how many days you will serve in the coming month, and hold each other accountable. You’ll have more fun and serve more!

Keep at it!
The more you do anything, the better you get – and that’s definitely true for volunteering. Practice makes perfect, after all!

Want to step up your Chinese-food-and-a-movie-on-Christmas” tradition? This year, spend the day volunteering! Across the country (and globe!), there are hundreds of opportunities to make a difference on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the surrounding days too. If you like to roll up your sleeves and do something hands on (or if you’ve never volunteered on Christmas and would like to give volunteering a go), there are plenty of ways to pitch in. Check out the events below, and bring extra meaning to the annual Jewish “day off.”

Glide, San Francicso
Going to be in San Francisco for the holidays? Sign up to sort toys for a holiday giveaway, cook a special prime rib luncheon on Christmas Eve, or prep and serve Christmas meals for those in need.

IKAR’s Christmas Tikkun, Los Angeles
Join one of LA’s most vibrant Jewish communities in setting up a beautiful Christmas Day breakfast for people in need at a transitional housing facility called Path.

Community Mitzvah Day, Baltimore
Plug into Jewish Volunteer Connection for an extravaganza of volunteer opps on Christmas. Advanced registration is now closed, but they are accepting walk-ins to assemble and deliver winter care packages to various service sites around the city.

JCC Days of Service, Washington DC
The J’s D25 (Day of Service, December 25) is a total service bonanza. With tons of projects, including many family friendly options, you are destined to find a great match.

Exodus Foundation, Sydney
Hey mates! If you live in Sydney, here is a great opportunity to give back on Christmas Day. You can sign up to set up a Santa station, drive donated goods to the volunteer site, and much more.

Light up a Life Tikun, London
This amazing organization offers volunteer events in the 10 days surrounding Christmas. From baking for London’s firefighters to volunteering at a home for older people with dementia, there are over 100 ways to get involved.

February is Build a Movement Month at Repair the World – join us all month for posts that are nothing short of world changing.

What does it mean to build real, authentic, and lasting change in a community – all while engaging short-term volunteers in the process? Since 2007, the folks at Tevel b’Tzedek, an NGO that sends Israeli and Jewish volunteers from all over the world to serve in Nepal, have been answering this exact question.

Tevel offers three different volunteer opportunities set in their network of Nepali villages: 1 month cultural exchanges and service trips, 4 month in-depth study and volunteer experiences, and 1-year fellowships focused on agriculture, education, health and media. In their unique approach, they work with an extensive Nepali-based staff and local leaders within the communities to make sure the volunteers tap into part of a larger, slowly-building movement, and can make meaningful change during their time in Nepal.

Repair the World spoke with recent volunteer, Matthew Kessler (MK), and Tevel Nepali staff member, Aatamram Neupane (AN), to find out how Tevel’s unique approach to service work plays out in the real world. Like what you read and ready for an adventure? Apply to volunteer with Tevel b’Tzedek today!